Butch Jones Gets Vols in Back-to-Back Bowl Games For First Time in Six Years

Butch Jones has always claimed he’s rebuilding Tennessee brick-by-brick.

Now he’s doing it bowl-by-bowl.

Jones has UT in the Outback Bowl against Northwestern, giving Tennessee their first back-to-back bowl seasons since 2008 and 2009.
Said Jones,"The University of Tennessee is back to being a commodity when it comes to bowl games."

    But regardless of how Tennessee performs in the Outback Bowl, Coach Jones says it will not take away from his team’s accomplishments this season.

"No bowl game will change how far this football program, and this football team has come in a very, very short period of time in three years."

    Jones wouldn’t mind the Vols playing in Tampa like they did last year in Jacksonville in the Taxslayer Bowl. UT beat Iowa 45-28.

"We had a very determined football team going to Jacksonville and a very focused football team, and we’ll rely on those experiences."

    The extra bowl practice sessions are important because Tennessee still isn’t a veteran team.

Said Jones,"I believe we are redshirting, I don’t know the exact number, but five to seven players. Where most programs, they’re redshirting 15 to maybe 17 or 18 players."

    As far as Northwestern is concerned, the Vols will see yet another good defensive team.

Said Jones,"Ranked in the top 15 in every major defensive category that’s out there. That’ll make I think this year, we’ve faced five out of the top nine defenses in the country."

    And should Tennessee win, they’ll end the year ranked in the Top 25.

Said Jones-"Anytime you are ranked, it’s big. We need to step back and be thankful and grateful for everything that’s going on here. Things just don’t happen overnight, but they’re happening at a rapid pace."